Ford Focus is a compact car introduced in 1999 as a very strong and innovative rival to the class-topping Volkswagen Golf. It is noted for its new and radical design as a part of the Ford’s New Edge styling principles.

The first generation of Focus included the hatchback, the sedan and the station wagon, while the second generation saw the introduction of a coupe version.

Focus has won numerous Car of the Year awards all around the world and it has been included on Car and Driver’s Top Ten List for five consecutive years. Ford Focus is considered to be the best handling car in its class, providing a delicate balance of passenger comfort and driving pleasure. It has the biggest interior in class, is an excellent value for money and is exceptionally fuel efficient in most trim levels.

The first generation of Focus included four different trim levels along with the sporty SVT line. The most popular trim level is SE. A vast array of different engines and transmissions was initially available, although the second generation saw the narrowing down of engine choices to just one 2.0 straight-four. The FCV is a hydrogen powered version and it is essentially a zero emissions vehicle.

The owners of the first generation Focus equipped with a 2.0L SPI engine commonly complained about a dropped valve seat. The interior quality on early models is often listed as an issue as well. Focus received an overall “good” rating in the frontal offset crash tests and an overall “acceptable” rating in the side impact tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It can be purchased for $2,000-$8,000 from online auto auctions and it will usually be sold much faster if it came in silver, red or black.